Russian Transformations and Various Social Responses - Essay Example

Russian Transformations and Various Social Responses Introduction Crimean war is considered disastrous in the history of Russia, and according to some authors this was the turning point that ultimately culminated in reforms which are considered the great reforms of 18601. The happenings of the war exposed the deficiencies of Russia in technological and scientific terms. The ultimate result of this happening was a war ridden Russia isolated at the international level. Russia was seen to be lagging far behind the other nations. The realization that the older system of governance is not effective for the future, forced the ruling class to think about alternatives. The civil society of that time participated actively in bringing about the social change that was unavoidable at that time. The serfs who were considered to possess no civil or human rights were emancipated2. Although this was considered a move against the interests of the land owners; the land owners had to accept it as there was no way out. The elite class of the society was well aware of the public sentiment and despite their unwillingness to allow such reforms to take place; they had to act to shape the face of the society according to their own will as far as possible. The effects of reforms were more visible in judicial, military, governmental and educational sectors. Generally considered a turning point in the history of Russia, the reforms were not welcomed by all sects of the population and there were many who actually rejected the notion of reforms3. “The period of reforms is considered to be a period of satisfaction and hope for the Russian civil society of that time”. Discussion Keeping in view the fact that Russia remained under autocratic control for a considerably lengthy period of its history4, the notion of reforms was warmly welcomed by the oppressed classes of the society. This was primarily due to the reason that the prospect of independence and equal opportunities of growth were a dream come true for the laborer class. Although the reforms were implemented with the idea of bringing improvement in the lives of the poor class; efforts were made to ensure the safety of the interests of the higher classes of the society. Following the abolition of serfdom, a swift change in the pattern of ownership of lands was expected. For the upper class this was considered an act against their interests, whereas the serfs were delighted to see this happening. A peasant reform program was adopted by the government that allowed the peasants get hold of pieces of land. This resulted in a class of property owners who were originally peasants or the more commonly known serfs. The peasant proprietors were expected to contribute towards the overall growth in the agricultural sector of the country. The initial stages of the reforms were designed to promote the level of independence of the peasants; thereby setting them free from the undue influences of the larger landlords. The ultimate consequence of the reforms was the development of a class of peasants who were owners of small pieces of lands and were working in parallel to the elite landlords with bigger chunks of land at their disposal5. The process was designed in this way to ensure a peaceful transformation; the lessons learnt from Central and Eastern Europe were kept in mind. The role of civil societies during the era of reforms cannot be ignored. The society started becoming modified into groups based on professions, religions, ethnicity or other aspects of life. This variety of groups were reflected in the formation of many societies like insurance companies, carpenters, consumers, minority associations, lawyers, teachers, doctor and so forth. Segregation into groups of this type can be considered an unconscious move of the society towards attaining security of their rights in the changing conditions of those times. Also important to note is the fact that this process was extremely rapid and it appeared that masses were waiting for the right time to achieve this grouping within the civil society. The need to educate the masses was immediately recognized by the society of Russia at that time. This appears to be more pronounced when the background of disastrous losses in the Crimean war is kept in mind. Education was the only force that could bring the nation back to life again. Around 1862, the concept of Sunday schools was well in shape; the primary purpose was to provide free education to the non-affording class of the society6. To meet the need of books, a society was established in Petersburg that was involved with publication of books with reduced costs. The trend was followed by other areas of the state; as a result a number of organizations to promote the cause of education on national level emerged. The universities across the state became centers of self-organization in social terms. A number of student organizations took shape with the passage of time; this not only contributed towards social organization but also became a source of manpower for the educational institutions of that period. Flocks of students from a poor background who were suffering the sequel of Crimean war gathered to benefit from the state funded educational setups. Also important to mention is the political role that the universities played during the reforms era. The professors and the students of these universities were seen participating in the national politics. This scenario was welcomed by some in the society; however there was considerable apprehension in certain groups of the country regarding acceptance of this concept. The notion of social independence continued its growth during the period of reforms. The public understanding regarding the matters of state continued to grow with the passage of time. The need to get independence from the strict and oppressive rule of the government was understood by all in the community. An important manifestation of this sentiment was the lecture delivered by Professor Pavlov in which despite strict censorship in place, he labelled the thousandth anniversary of the country as “a millennium of slave rule”. Although Pavlov met an unfavorable fate immediately after this lecture, the idea was picked up by the nation, which became a guiding force for their future actions. The subsequent events and efforts of the population were directed towards the development of a democratic pattern of government in the country. Literary works like “Young Russia” appeared on the national scenario and inspired thousands to continue their efforts to achieve a democratic Russia7. A reflection of these efforts may be seen in the form of development of an organization by the name of “Land and Liberty”, which was primarily the effort of students, and aimed at bringing revolutionary changes to establish democracy in the state. The assassination of Alexander by the Narodnaya Volnya (literally People’s Will) was a bloody event in the history of Russia that affected the process of reforms in a negative way. Following his death, his son took control of the state; he was considered a ruthless person by nature8. He took measures to reverse the process of reforms while encouraging the limitation of participation of Jews in matters of the state. This was against the democratic ideology that his father has been promoting in the past. This proved to be a harsh blow to the process of reforms that had continued for the past few decades throughout the Russia. The society that had evolved slowly to adjust to the newer circumstances post-reform was once again forced to revert to the older ways. The idea of social independence that had gathered considerable momentum was once again shattered. Conclusion The oppressive rule that continued for almost one thousand years came to an end when Russia faced extensive losses due to its involvement in the Crimean war. The war left the state crippled in financial terms; the morale of the nation suffered immense deterioration since the number of casualties was greater than two hundred thousand. It was therefore imperative for the state to take corrective measures to overcome the deficiencies and built the nation to meet future challenges. Reforms under these conditions were a blessing for the oppressed lower classes of the society. The opportunity was immediately gripped by the civil society and efforts were made for the collective benefit of all. Of prime importance were the land reforms that culminated in a change that was never witnessed before by the citizens of Russia. The small land owners became a reality that existed in parallel to the bigger land lords. The inhabitants of the country started segregating into groups to safeguard their own interests. Efforts to educate the masses improved the literacy rate of the nation dramatically. Improvement in educational level enlightened the understanding of the people of Russia to an extent where they started thinking about getting their say in matters of the state; democracy. In a nutshell, although a period of extreme uncertainty for the elite Russian class; the period following the reforms was a period of hope and satisfaction for the oppressed classes of the society.  Bibliography Hughes, Robert P., and Irina Paperno. Russian Culture in Modern Times. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994. Kelly, Walter Keating. The history of Russia from the earliest period to the Crimean war. Vol. 1. H. G Bohn, 1854. Maxwell, Robert. Information U. S. S. R.; An Authoritative Encyclopedia About the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. New York: Macmillan, 1962. McCarthy, Daniel J., Sheila M. Puffer, and S. V. Shekshni︠a︡. Corporate Governance in Russia. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Pub, 2004. Polunov, Aleksandr Ju. Russia in the Nineteenth Century: Autocracy, Reform, and Social Change, 1814-1914. Armonk, N.Y. [u.a.]: Sharpe, 2005. Reddaway, Peter, and Robert W. Orttung. Dynamics of Russian Politics: Putins Reform of Federal-Regional Relations Vol. II. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005. Shoemaker, M. Wesley. Russia and The Commonwealth of Independent States 2013. Lanham: Stryker Post, 2013. Thackeray, Frank W., and John E. Findling, eds. Events that changed the world in the nineteenth century. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996. Read More